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Supreme Administrative Court

In Poland the legislator created a separate branch of the judicial system; namely the administrative courts. It is determined by Article 175 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland of 2 April 1997.

The issue of the competences of administrative courts and the essence of administrative justice exercised by these courts is covered in Article 184 of the Constitution. It implies that administrative courts exercise, to the extent specified by statute, control over the performance of the public administration. Such control shall also extend to judgments on the conformity to statute, of resolutions issued by the organs of local government and normative acts of territorial authorities of government administration.

The acts regulating the detailed competences of administrative courts which are referred to in the Constitution are, above all, the Act of 25 July 2002 – the Law on the system of administrative courts and the Act of 30 August 2002 – the Law on proceedings before administrative courts.

According to Article 3 and following provisions of the Law on proceedings before administrative courts, these courts shall adjudicate on individual complaints brought against the administrative decisions, or orders subject to complaint, termination of proceedings, or in determining the substance of the case, as well as orders issued in executive proceedings and proceedings to secure claims, written interpretations of tax issued in individual cases. The administrative courts should also rule on disputes regarding local enactments issued by territorial governments or other territorial authorities or by regional authorities of the state administration, as well as complaints concerning the administration failure to act.

Since 1 January 2004, Poland has introduced a two-tier system of administrative judiciary. According to Article 13 § 1 of the Act of 30 August 2002 – the Law on proceedings before administrative courts, the voivodship courts hear – as to the principle – all administrative matters, except for matters reserved for the jurisdiction of the Supreme Administrative Court. The seats of these courts and the territories of their respective jurisdictions have been stipulated in Article 13 § 2 of that law, and in the Regulation of the President of the Republic of Poland of 25 April 2003, regarding the establishment of voivodship administrative courts and the determination of the seats and areas of jurisdiction. Pursuant to these acts, there are now sixteen voivodship administrative courts, whose jurisdictions coincide with the divisions of Poland into voivodships.

The Financial Chamber supervises the case law of the voivodship administrative courts in cases of tax obligations and other money provisions to which the tax law applies as well as enforcement of money provisions.

Commercial Chamber:

President of the Chamber, Vice-president of the Supreme Administrative Court

The General Administrative Chamber of the Supreme Administrative Court supervises the case law of the voivodship administrative courts in other administrative matters, particularly in matters of construction and building control, land use planning, water management, environmental protection, agriculture, treatment, employment, local government system, real estate management, privatization of property, general military obligation, internal affairs as well as the prices, fees and tariffs - related to matters within the jurisdiction of this Chamber.

The Judicial Decisions Bureau oversees the quality of jurisprudence and the efficiency of proceedings in administrative courts. In order to achieve these objectives it undertakes analyses, conduct inspections of the voivodship administrative courts and presents proposed solutions. Within the structure of the Judicial Decisions Bureau there is also the European Law Division, which assists the judges in their application of European Union law.

Court Information Division

President of the Division, Spokesman of the Supreme Administrative Court

The Court Information Division informs parties and interested persons regarding the competences of administrative courts and the status of cases dealt with by the Supreme Administrative Court and makes available the relevant case files. The Division also performs the task of providing public information about the activities of the Court, deals with petitions, complaints and motions, as well as compiles court statistics.

Chancellery of President of the Supreme Administrative Court

Chief of the Chancellery

Zbigniew Dyzio

Office:
ph.: + 48 22 551 68 00
fax: + 48 22 826 75 06

The Chancellery provides conditions for the efficient operation of the administrative judiciary, particularly in terms of financing, personnel, administrative and economic matters.

The Domestic and Foreign Relations Team provides support in the fields of the relations between the Supreme Administrative Court and other domestic, foreign and international courts, public institutions and organizations.